Michigan

LSJ: Several Spartan hoopsters make gains this offseason

Joe Rexrode of the Lansing State Journal gives an updated on the progress of several Spartan basketball players so far this offseason.

LSJ, June 6: The center position is the obvious first question. MSU lost a star in Suton and a lot of size and athleticism off the bench in Gray and Ibok.

The good news for the Spartans is that Tom Herzog is making some gains in a weight-gain quest that has been slow and torturous. Herzog, who will be a fourth-year junior next season, is up to an all-time high of 245 pounds.

Izzo states that he needs 30 minutes a game out of the trio of Herzog and incoming freshmen Derrick Nix and Garrick Sherman. Herzog is going to have to average at least half of those thirty with the freshmen picking up the rest.

It's not realistic to expect much more than ten minutes or so each game from one freshmen with the other seeing mostly mop up duties. The style of play and size of the opponent will probably determine which player fills which role on a given night.

Keep in mind that last season super-recruit Delvon Roe only averaged 17 minutes a game. Roe's minutes were limited early on because of knee surgery, but late in the season, when he was healthy, he still saw several long stretches on bench due to mental and defensive lapses. So keep this in mind when setting expectations for Nix and Sherman this upcoming season.

In other notes Chris Allen and Korie Lucious are progressing well in their recovery from the broken bones in their feet sustained during the National Title game. And Delvon Roe appears to be regaining much of the explosiveness he lost after having knee surgery during his senior year in high school.